NPF News

LOWELL, MASS.  The All-Stars from National Pro Fastpitch rebounded from a 1-0 defeat on Saturday in Akron, Ohio, by sweeping a doubleheader from the Connecticut Classics at Martin Field in Lowell, Mass. Tuesday (July 29) night.

The NPF All-Stars were led by Tarrah Beyster (Oregon State) on the mound and Lauren Bauer (Arizona) at the plate in the first game of the doubleheader. Beyster continued her strong pitching on the season, pitching her way to a 4-0 shutout. Bauer provided all of the offense for the All-Stars collecting three hits, including her third home run of the season, a double and all four NPF RBIs.

With the victory Beyster improved her season record to 6-1 and extended her consecutive scoreless pitched innings to 30. The last run she gave up was on June 18 against the Stratford Brakettes. The game against the Brakettes was also Beysters only loss of the season, a 5-2 decision at Helfaer Park.

Bauer continued her hot hitting at the plate with her third homerun on the season and her second in the last three games. Bauers homerun gave the All-Stars a lead they would never relinquish. In her last three games she has 9-for-12, with two homeruns, one double and seven RBIs.

Seven other NPFers collected base hits in game one of the doubleheader. Lisa Iancin (California) was the only other All-Star to collect more than one hit in the game.

In the second game the NPF offense was slow to get going, not collecting their first hit until the fourth inning when Allison Andrade (Arizona) delivered a hard single to left field following a Lindsey Collins (Arizona) walk. Venus Taylor (Western Illinois) followed the Andrade single with a lined double down the right field line.

Andrade and Danielle Cox (Florida State) paced the offense for the National Pro Fastpitch All-Stars each collecting two base hits in the game. Cox was also one of two All-Stars to score two runs in the ballgame, the other being catcher Lindsey Collins (Arizona).

The one-run in the fourth inning was all that All-Star pitcher Amy Kyler (Cleveland State) needed, as she only gave up a second inning unearned run. The Connecticut Classics scored the opening run of the ballgame on a Cox bobble in the outfield. The inning was started by Kathy Puglia who delivered single to right center and later advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Sarah Collins. Puglia eventually would score on a single to centerfield by Marlena Kotynski and the error by Cox.

The win marked the ninth such decision for Kyler on the season, as she lowered her season era to 0.69. For the second start in a row Kyler struck out 14 opposing batters, giving her 130 strikeouts on the season against 274 batters (47.4%).

The NPF All-Stars, who have now won 15 of 19 games this summer, will play a doubleheader Thursday, July 31 at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. at Martin Field in Lowell, Mass. The games in Lowell are apart of the five days the All-Stars will spend in Massachusetts.

The July 31 game features the Stratford (Conn.) Brakettes, the 2002 ASA Women's National Softball Champions. The Brakettes defeated the NPF All-Stars 5-2 in Milwaukee, Wis., in extra innings. The NPF All-Stars are currently 11-3 this summer and will play games in Akron, Ohio, this weekend before the Lowell doubleheaders.

In addition to posting a 15-4 record in games in California, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Colorado, Tennessee, Phoenix, Tucson, Akron and Lowell this season, the NPF All-Stars have hosted clinics and made appearances at Major League Baseball games in San Francisco, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Denver, Miami, Atlanta, Phoenix, Chicago, Cincinnati and Boston.

The Boston-area stop on the 2003 NPF All-Stars is a part of a nation-wide tour visiting 17 cities this summer. The tour will partner with Major League Baseball Clubs in 12 of those cities. Official league play is scheduled to begin early summer, 2004

National Pro Fastpitch is the only professional women's fastpitch softball league in the United States. Major League Baseball is the Official Development Partner of NPF. The league is headquartered in Denver, and has been in operation since 1997 under the names Women's Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women's Professional Softball League (WPSL).